AFS USA

I'll post a proper update soon, but for now this is a plea to the folks on my friendslist who live in or know someone in the U.S.A.:

I volunteer with a high school foreign exchange organization called AFS. I have studied abroad and hosted a student through this program, and both experiences were life-changing. Through these experiences, I have learned so much about myself, my family, my culture, and other cultures around the world.

At this point in time, we are still looking for U.S. host families for around 300 international students. Any students that are not assigned to families by August 31 will not be allowed to come to the U.S. to study abroad, an experience many have been planning and looking forward to for years. These students will be left wondering if something is wrong with them or their home country that has made them unplaceable, as well as be forced to explain to their family and friends why they must stay at home.

Please talk to your families, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, etc. about hosting an exchange student. Even if a family can only commit to a few weeks, this will help tremendously. You can find more information and the application here: http://www.afsusa.org/host-family/.